At the same time, Putin noted, Russia would respond to a nuclear strike.

"The aggressor must know that retaliation will be inevitable. We, victims of the aggression, we will go to heaven as martyrs. They will just die, because they won't even have time to repent," the president said.

Putin also said that Russia was not afraid of anything.

"We are not afraid of anything at all. [When your] country with such a territory, with people ready to give their lives for the Fatherland - nobody can do anything about it," he said.